BILL REQ. #:  S-1479.1 

Read first time 02/24/2003.   Referred to Committee on Economic Development.

     AN ACT Relating to the personal reemployment account program; and adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the department of community, trade, and economic development has, through its individual development accounts program, shown the value of economic development efforts that focus on providing individuals with resources, skills, and incentives to engage in gainful employment. It is the intent of the legislature to promote economic development by creating the personal reemployment account program in the department to provide for the establishment of personal reemployment accounts for certain individuals identified as likely to have problems becoming reemployed. The personal reemployment account program is to assist such individuals by accelerating reemployment, promoting retention in employment, and providing enhanced flexibility, choice, and control in obtaining intensive reemployment, training, and supportive services. It is the further intent of the legislature to operate the program with funds granted to the state from the federal government and private resources.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The personal reemployment account program is established in the department of community, trade, and economic development.
     (1) An eligible individual may receive only one personal reemployment account. The amount of each reemployment account is three thousand dollars.
     (2) An individual is eligible to receive a personal reemployment account if, after the state receives federal grant funds, the individual:
     (a) Is identified, pursuant to section 303(j)(1) of the federal social security act: (i) As likely to exhaust regular unemployment compensation; (ii) to be in need of job search assistance to make a successful transition to new employment; (iii) as receiving regular unemployment compensation; and (iv) as eligible for not less than twenty weeks of regular unemployment compensation; or
     (b) Has exhausted all rights to any unemployment compensation, and:
     (i) Is enrolled in training and needs additional support to complete this training, with a priority of service to be provided to the individuals who are training for shortage occupations or high-growth industries; or
     (ii) Is separated from employment in an industry or occupation that has experienced declining employment, or no longer provides any employment, in the local labor market during the two-year period preceding the individual's application for eligibility.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) Prior to the establishment of a personal reemployment account for an eligible individual, the department of community, trade, and economic development shall ensure that the individual:
     (a) Is informed of the requirements applicable to the personal reemployment account, including the allowable uses of funds provided for in section 4 of this act and the conditions for their receipt, and the availability of and the limitations on access to services provided for by federal law;
     (b) Has the option to develop a personal reemployment plan which will identify the employment goals and appropriate combination of services selected by the individual to achieve the employment goals; and
     (c) Signs an attestation that the individual will comply with the requirements relating to the personal reemployment accounts under this chapter and federal law and will reimburse the account or, if the account has been terminated, the program for any amounts expended from the account that are not allowable.
     (2) The department shall conduct periodic interviews with recipients to assist them in meeting their individual employment goals if, after they exhaust any unemployment compensation due to them, they have remaining balances in their personal reemployment account.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) Subject to the requirements of federal law, a recipient may use amounts in a personal reemployment account to purchase one or more of the following:
     (a) Intensive services, including:
     (i) Comprehensive and specialized assessments of skill level and service needs;
     (ii) Development of an individual employment plan;
     (iii) Counseling and career planning;
     (iv) Case management of training selected by the recipient; and
     (v) Short-term prevocational services such as communication skills, learning skills, interviewing skills, and personal conduct skills;
     (b) Training services, including:
     (i) Occupational skills training and retraining;
     (ii) On-the-job training;
     (iii) Programs that combine workplace training with related instruction;
     (iv) Entrepreneurial training; and
     (v) Job readiness and literacy training;
     (c) Supportive services such as transportation, child care, dependent care, housing, and needs-related payments, that are necessary to enable an individual to become reemployed; and
     (d) Assistance to purchase or lease an automobile, if this assistance is necessary to allow the recipient to accept a bona fide offer of employment for which there is a reasonable expectation of long-term duration.
     (2) A recipient eligible under section 2(2)(b) of this act may withdraw amounts from the personal reemployment account on a weekly basis for purposes of income support in amounts up to the average weekly amount of unemployment compensation that was received prior to
his or her exhaustion of unemployment benefits, provided the recipient is engaged in job search, intensive services, or training that is expected to lead to employment.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   Consistent with federal law, a recipient may receive a reemployment bonus of the balance of his or her personal reemployment account if he or she obtains full-time employment within thirteen weeks of:
     (1) Starting unemployment payments for those recipients receiving unemployment benefits at the time their reemployment account was established; or
     (2) The establishment of the reemployment account for those recipients who had exhausted unemployment benefits at the time their personal reemployment account was established.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   The department of community, trade, and economic development shall, consistent with federal requirements and in cooperation with the work force training and education coordinating board and the employment security department, develop and submit a state plan for operating the personal reemployment account program authorized by this chapter. The department may operate the personal reemployment account program in conjunction with its individual development account program and is authorized to seek private resources to assist in operating both programs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   Sections 1 through 6 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.